Author: Journal of Applied Ecology

Plain language summaries, Research summaries

Dirt to the rescue: Using sediment to restore evolving saltmarshes in the subtropics

Coastal wetlands such as saltmarshes and mangrove forests provide benefits including storm protection and fisheries support to millions of people around the world. Yet, these habitats are changing rapidly as sea levels rise and temperatures warm, especially in areas affected by both of these stressors at the same time. In the subtropics, for example, saltmarshes are deteriorating from sea level rise while also transitioning to … Continue reading Dirt to the rescue: Using sediment to restore evolving saltmarshes in the subtropics

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Plain language summaries, Research summaries

Insect farming can repeat the invasion mistakes of aquaculture – unless we act early

Insect farming is often promoted as a sustainable alternative to conventional livestock, with the potential to reduce land use, emissions, and pressure on natural resources. However, scaling up any food production system also carries environmental risks. In this study, we show that one important risk – biological invasions caused by escaped farmed species – has received far too little attention in the rapidly growing insect … Continue reading Insect farming can repeat the invasion mistakes of aquaculture – unless we act early

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Plain language summaries, Research summaries

Plant mixture effects on soil nitrogen cycling

We conducted a global synthesis using paired observations of plant mixtures and corresponding monocultures to determine the long-term effects of plant diversity on soil N pools and N transformations. Our findings demonstrate that plant mixtures improve the sustainability of nitrogen cycling and reduce N2O emissions in the long term. We suggest that the conservation and restoration of terrestrial plant diversity should be designated as a … Continue reading Plant mixture effects on soil nitrogen cycling

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Plain language summaries, Research summaries

Bringing back birds to Mediterranean heathlands one cut and one burn at a time

For centuries, the heathlands of Tuscany in north-central Italy were used to graze livestock and to harvest heather for making brooms (the old witch-style ones) and other wares. These traditional land-use practices maintained perfect habitat for birds like the woodlark and tawny pipit – specialists of open and shrubby habitats. But here, and throughout Europe, birds that depend on open habitats like heathlands and grasslands … Continue reading Bringing back birds to Mediterranean heathlands one cut and one burn at a time

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Plain language summaries, Research summaries

What happens belowground when invasive species are controlled?

A better understanding of what happens belowground when restoring coastal vegetation may be useful to better plan restoration. However, little is known about what happens belowground when invasive species are controlled in restoration settings. My students and I used a protected area of sandy coastal vegetation in an island in Southern Brazil as a model to investigate belowground dynamics in plant communities under restoration. These … Continue reading What happens belowground when invasive species are controlled?

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Plain language summaries, Research summaries

How climate change affects carbon storage in Mediterranean pine forests

Reforestation is widely promoted as a way to mitigate climate change by capturing carbon from the atmosphere. However, its real success depends on how trees invest (allocate) the carbon they capture, that is, how much they invest to grow leaves, stems or roots, particularly under warmer and drier conditions. In this study, we analysed how climate affects carbon allocation in large-scale pine reforestations across the … Continue reading How climate change affects carbon storage in Mediterranean pine forests

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Monitoring and methods, Research summaries

Community science complements assessment of extinction risk

Understanding the probability of extinction is critical for effective management and conservation. While such assessment mainly depends on rigorous and standardized monitoring (the best of the best data), recent research from Acevedo-Charry et al (2025) features a complementary way that data gathered from volunteers can help estimate probability of extinction. A version of this post is also available in Spanish here. How do we assess … Continue reading Community science complements assessment of extinction risk

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Monitoring and methods, Research summaries

La ciencia comunitaria complementa la evaluación del riesgo de extinción

Comprender la probabilidad de extinción es fundamental para una gestión y conservación eficaces. Si bien dicha evaluación depende principalmente de un monitoreo riguroso y estandarizado (con los mejores datos disponibles), una investigación reciente de Acevedo-Charry et al (2025) presenta una forma complementaria en la que los datos recopilados por voluntarios pueden ayudar a estimar la probabilidad de extinción. Esta entrada de blog también está disponible … Continue reading La ciencia comunitaria complementa la evaluación del riesgo de extinción

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Agriculture, Human-wildlife interactions, Pollinators, Research summaries

Small fields, big benefits: But only with semi-natural habitats nearby

Pollinators, like bumblebees, are essential for agriculture, yet they’re declining due to landscape simplification and habitat loss. In this blog post, Riho Marja and colleagues tell us more about their study. Riho Marja and his team explored the effect of field size on Bumble bee populations in Austria and Hungary. They explored this by setting up 56 commercial bumblebee colonies in Eastern Austria and Western … Continue reading Small fields, big benefits: But only with semi-natural habitats nearby

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Pollinators, Research summaries

Beaver wetlands create a buzz and a flutter for pollinators

Patrick Cook discusses the impacts of beaver wetlands on pollinator communities, summarising recently-published research. Can beaver wetlands create a buzz and a flutter for pollinators? That’s a question that has occupied my mind since 2022. It began one evening sat at the edge of a beaver wetland looking at Greater Spearwort and wondering what pollinators visit the yellow flowers of this gigantic buttercup! Subsequently the … Continue reading Beaver wetlands create a buzz and a flutter for pollinators

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